Do you use a Fitbit to track your sleep? Now you can find out how your ZZZs stack up against the norm.

Fitbit this week released sleep statistics based on aggregated and anonymous data from millions of its users from April 8-17. The average Fitbit user is in bed by 11:36 p.m. and sleeps for 6 hours and 38 minutes. That includes 1 hour, 37 minutes of REM sleep; 3 hours, 55 minutes of light sleep; and 1 hour, 7 minutes of deep sleep. Fitbit users wake up at 7:17 a.m., on average, the company says.

Based on the results of the study, it seems we all need more sleep. The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends adults get at least seven hours of sleep each night.

"If you tend to fall short ... try to bank those extra minutes: Fitbit data confirms that sleeping 7 to 8 hours gives you the highest combined percentage of deep and REM sleep," the company wrote in a blog post.

Women, the study found, get about 25 minutes more sleep each night compared to men. There were also generational gaps: Generation Z Fitbit fans go to bed the latest but sleep the longest, while Baby Boomers get the least amount of sleep.

In general, the company recommends keeping a consistent sleep schedule, aiming for between seven and eight hours of shut-eye a night. Also consider going to bed earlier: those who go to sleep between 9 and 10 p.m. get the highest average of REM sleep, Fitbit says.

Sleeping five hours or less a night is a big no-no. Those who do so "deprive their body of the opportunity to get enough deep sleep, which occurs near the beginning of the night," Fitbit wrote. "Deep sleep is important for many physical processes such as cell regeneration, human growth hormone secretion, and feeling refreshed."

The company's data also shows that waking up earlier than normal impacts REM sleep, which typically occurs at the end of the night. "Not getting enough REM sleep can negatively impact your short-term memory, cell regeneration, and mood," Fitbit said.

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Light Sleep is also important, as "a lot of body maintenance" happens during this phase.

"These findings further support the general recommendation that most adults need to consistently sleep 7 to 9 hours per night, and illustrate why a good night's rest is so important for your overall well-being," Fitbit advisory panel sleep expert Michael T. Smith, Jr., Ph.D., professor of psychiatry, neurology, and nursing at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine in Baltimore, said in a statement.

Fitbit offers sleep tracking on its Alta HR, Blaze, and Charge 2fitness trackers. The feature monitors your movements and heart rate to estimate the amount of sleep you spend awake and in light, deep, and REM sleep each night.

About the Author

Angela has been a PCMag reporter since January 2012. Prior to joining the team, she worked as a reporter for SC Magazine, covering everything related to hackers and computer security. Angela has also written for The Northern Valley Suburbanite in New Jersey, The Dominion Post in West Virginia, and the Uniontown-Herald Standard in Pennsylvania. She ... See Full Bio

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